Wash ing-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. MCDONALD.

WASHING- MACHINE.

Patented July 29 wl ul r1 I a InUEnTm':

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. E. MoDONALD.

WASHING MAGHINB. I

No. 433,133. Patented July 29,1890.

WITHBEJSBE:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'IN MCDONALD, OE \VILLOVV, CALIFORNIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,133, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed October 11, 1889. Serial No. 326,714. (No model.)

parallel with the ends of the tub, sufiieient To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Villow-yin the county of Colusa and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin \Vashing-Machin es of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved machine forwashin g clothes and articles of household use; and it consists in certain construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, producing an improved machinefor laund ry use more particularly and Where large quantities of articles are to be Washed.

The nature of these improvements and the manner in which I proceed to produce and apply them will be understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the said drawings represents a longitudinal section of my said machine in elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken across the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the machine with the cover and, rollers removed. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the shoe removed.

The novel points and features of my present invention consist of an endless traveling belt or apron formed of rolls, alongitudinallyvibrating shoe or plane lllbbll'lg-SlllftlCG between which and the endless apron the clot-hes or articles are introduced and carried forward, and a trough, tub, or receptacle having a removable top or cover that also forms part of the rubbing-surfaces and provided with inlet and outlet for water. These parts are combined with suitable mechanism for moving the endless traveling and longitudinally-vibrating surfaces, and are arranged for operation substantially as follows:

A is the tub or receptacle, having the connections a c at top and bottom,respectively, for a water-supply pipe and a waste-water pipe, and generally of rectangular shape, but with outwardly-inclined ends.

B is the longitudinally-vibrating shoe or rubbingsurface, and C is the endless traveling apron. The first-mentioned part B sets on horizontally-placed rollers b that support it clear of the bottom of the tub, and its ends 15* are turned upward,so that they are about room being left between the shoe and the tub at the ends to permit longitudinal movement of the shoe back and forth on its roller-supports. This movement may be produced in various ways; but the simplest way, as I have shown, is to connect the shoe with a crank or a small eccentric on a shaft outside the tub by means of a connecting-rod D, attached at one end to the shoe and carried through a stuffing-box (Z in the end of the tub.

The endless traveling apron is formed of a number of rolls 0 c, coupled together by links or chain belts at the ends in an endless series, and the apron so formed is carried by a set of pulleys or wheels around the four sides of a rectangle and in such manner that the top and bottom sides of this rectangle run parallel with and in close relation to the surface of the shoe at the bottom and to the under surface of the top or cover of the tub as well, while the upright ends set and travel closely to the upwardly-inclined ends of the vibrating shoe.

E E E F are the pulleys or carrying-wheels of the endless apron,the upper ones of which have their axles E setting in bearings in the sides of the tub; but the lower ones E F are support-ed by arms G of aframe G G which is itself suspended within the tub above the vibrating shoe, either loosely suspended from the shafts or axles that carry the upper pulleys E or from other supports fixed to the sides of the tub. The arms that carry the lower pulleys E are adjustable in length, and are pressed outward by springs 7r, so that suitable tension is always kept on the endless traveling apron; but in addition to this function it will be seen that the lower carrying-pulleys are capable of yielding in an upward direction under pressu re of an accumulation or increased thickness of clothes between the shoe and the endless apron at the corners, by means of which yielding quality the apron and its carrying-pulleys are relieved of excessive strain at the angles of the shoe where the rubbingsurfaces change from the horizontal to the upright. The removable top H is so formed that it fits down closely over the upper portion of the endless apron, and its under surface has a number of rolls I arranged to turn loosely in stationary bearings for the entire length of upper surface of the endless apron. The ends of the cover beyond this roller-bearing surface are curved downwardly to connect the upwardlyinelined end spaces between shoe and apron with the space between apron and cover, and suitable clamps J are applied to hold the cover in place. A steam-inlet K may be provided in the cover, through which steam can be turned into the machine, if desired, to use that agent in connection with water; or this inlet can also be used to turn in water for rinsing the clothes after they have been made to travel around between the rubbing-surfaces a sufficient time.

Power is applied to move the endless apron and vibrate the shoe through the medium of the shaft M, to which one of the apron-carriers E is connected by belt or gearing, and with which also the shaft to run the shoe is connected either by belt or gears. The shaft M can be worked by hand or by power transmitted through a belt from an engine-shaft.

As thus constructed for operation, the clothes are placed in the machine at one end between the endless apron and the Vibrating shoe, after which the cover is fastened down and the power is applied to the shaft M. Hot water is let in through one aperture and with- B B endless traveling apron 0, formed ofrollers c c, the carryingrollers E E F F, and the cover H, having loose rollers I I set in the upper surface and inlet and outlet apertures for water, for operation as set forth.

2. In a washing-machine, the reciprocating shoe B and raised ends 13*, in combination with the endless apron of rollers O C and the apron-carriers E E F F, of which one set is mounted in ad jnstable bearings, foroperation as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

EDWIN MCDONALD. [L. s] Witnesses:

OHAs. E. KELLY, J. E. FORD. 

